Sue Bird has left a legacy on the WNBA equal to that of her namesake in the NBA, Larry Bird. In all honesty, any other WNBA’s players resume pales in comparison to Bird’s. Bird can confidently hold her career up to the standard of the consensus GOAT of the WNBA Lisa Leslie, and some may argue that Bird has eclipsed even her. Bird retires as the WNBA’s all-time assist leader and leaves behind a 4 championship mark on the Seattle Storm.
Sue Bird announced her retirement from the WNBA on June 11, 2023. The Seattle Supersonics raised her No.10 jersey into the rafters and forever immortalized her as the greatest player in franchise history and maybe in the game. After 20 seasons spent in the WNBA, Bird has racked up not just the statistics but the money as well, considering that she is one of the most endorsed women athletes ever.
Sue Bird boasts an impressive net worth of $8 million
It’s no secret that the salaries of WNBA players are astronomically low compared to that of the NBA players. Bird herself only earned a salary of $72,141 in her final years with the Storm. This amount is laughable compared to the $1.5 million she is receiving in endorsements. Bird has spread her wealth around different ventures and has the privilege of being considered the best women’s basketball player in the world, which leads to many brands wanting to work with her.
Sue Bird has had a long-standing deal with Nike, although she never received her own signature line of shoes like some of her junior players like Elena Delle Donne or Sabrina Ionescu. Bird famously wore the Kyrie shoes before his partnership with Nike was discontinued. We cannot put a number to Bird’s contract with Nike but it has to be a significant amount due to the tenure she has with them.
Bird also had contracts with Symetra, State Farm, American Express, Mendi, and Glossier. Bird has even appeared in television commercials for Mendi, Glossier, and American Express. It is truly remarkable how successful Bird has become given her limited monetary remuneration by the WNBA league. She truly is an idol for the younger generation of women athletes, gameplay-wise and financially.